1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a detergent composition for home clothes laundering which contains both a specific type of antioxidant and an oxygen-type bleaching agent. More specifically, this invention relates to a detergent composition for household clothes laundering, containing blended therein an antioxidant having a specific chemical structure and an oxygen-type bleaching agent as critical components. The remainder of the detergent composition has a conventional formulation. The detergent composition, according to the invention, effectively prevents yellowing of washed clothes, which is a serious defect of conventional clothes washing detergents. Also, the whiteness and clean appearance of the washed clothes is retained for a long time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During wearing, clothes become contaminated with sebum secreted from the human body, dust particles and dirt, oily soil and various other kinds of soil. It is known that these soils are not completely removed by washing, but rather some amount of them remains in clothes after washing and they accumulate in clothes during repeated wearings and washings. It is considered that the main cause of yellowing in clothes is this accumulated soil that is not removed by washing. Especially the residual sebum component undergoes autoxidation and becomes yellowed. Further, yellowing and color fading owing to oxidative degradation of fiber fabrics per se and autoxidative degradation and decomposition of fluorescent dyes or coloring dyes are also significant factors in causing yellowing.
Various attempts have heretofore been made to provide detergent compositions that prevent such yellowing in clothes. For example, it is known to employ carboxymethylcellulose or like substances in clothes washing detergent compositions as an anti-redeposition agent. However, a satisfactory solution of the problem of yellowing cannot be attained by such known methods. The main reason is that there is a limit on the washing power that can be attained by the combined used of a synthetic surfactant and a builder, and even if a fluorescent whitening agent is blended in the detergent compositions for improving the washing power, a wholly satisfactory effect cannot be obtained. Further, even when a fluorescent whitening agent is absorbed by yellowed clothes during washing, a fully satisfactory whitening effect cannot be expected.